The Bank of England left the red squirrel out. You put it back in.
When the red squirrel was omitted from the Bank of England’s shortlist for its new wildlife-themed banknotes, we decided not simply to complain, or to point out that the species already features on a Scottish commercial banknote.
We created The People’s Red Squirrel Banknote Collection and invited you to help put Britain’s native red squirrel back in the picture.
And you did.
Because the red squirrel should not be thought of simply as a Scottish species. It is a British native, and it deserves visibility and protection in the shrinking habitats where it still survives across the UK.
With less than two weeks to go before entries close, the Collection now has its own online gallery.
The entries are wonderfully eclectic: children’s scribbles, detailed drawings, paintings, photographs and even sculpture. Some are accomplished, some gloriously wonky, and every one says something rather lovely about how much affection there still is for Britain’s native red squirrel.
Take a look at the gallery here:
saveourreds.uk/the-peoples-red-squirrel-banknote-collection
There is still time to take part.
Draw one. Paint one. Photograph one. Sculpt one. Or simply scribble a squirrel on a piece of paper.
Send your entry to hello@saveourreds.uk by 31 August.
After entries close, we’ll bring the Collection together and share it with the Bank of England.
But behind this joyful project is a serious message.
More than 109,000 people have now signed the Save Our Reds petition.
That extraordinary level of public support shows that people do not want to watch this iconic native species quietly disappear from more of Britain.
Keeping red squirrels visible matters. Because when a species disappears from everyday life, it can all too easily begin to disappear from everyday minds too.
And a little Little Red news…
It has been far too long since I mentioned Little Red: Warrior Squirrel, the children’s book that grew out of this campaign.
I was delighted to see today that it is still rated 4.6 stars from 25 Amazon reviews and is currently ranked #360 in Children’s Books on Forests & Trees.
And Little Red’s story isn’t finished.
I’m about to start bringing Book Two to life, continuing her adventures and her mission to inspire another generation of woodland warriors.
Thank you, as always, for every signature, every share, every picture and every word of encouragement.
There are still plenty more red squirrel stories to tell, both on the page and in the woods. 🐿️
Marie Carter-Robb
Founder, Save Our Reds CIC